T-Mac shouldn't be a full time PG but he is without question the best passer on the team and he has to play the role of a point forward. The absence of Sura is hurting us because he is a pretty good passer despite being a combo guard who commits quite a lot of turnovers. Ward has lost his skills as a passer which is hurting us and Lue is a backup PG. Playing as a PG or point forward is mentally and physically challenging for T-Mac but he is the only one who can make this team run.
I think what Jeff meant (and I completely agree) is that TMAC won't be playing point guard but rather just handling the full point guard responsibilities from the shooting guard spot. They need Lue and Ward out there to knock down 3's and guard the smaller players. TMAC will play the point but from the '2'.
I came to the same conclusion that TMac should initiate the offense based on ESPN 2K5. So maybe Van Gundy has been playing, too.
We cannot use Tmac as a point, it is a waste. If he is a point, who is going to be the primary target? No one, at least in these three games. If Tmac is the point, he will have to divide his attention and energy to too many things, and hope everyone else to finish more efficiently than they are doing right now. Assuming that Tmac can play as good as Magic at point, do we have the same class of supporting cast that Magic once had? The answer is NO. Yao probably will never reach to Jabbar's level. In this sense, we need more from just Yao and a good point to get championship, and that person will be T-Mac as SG or SF. The conclusion is TMac should not play point. In an ideal theme (suppose Yao show up), we have two primary weapon in Yao and Tmac, it is hard to guard when the point bring the ball up. This will make the point more efficient, and more space for the other two players on the floor.
When we are saying that T-Mac can run the point. we don't mean he brings it up passes to yao or someone and then just waits for them to shoot. We are basically saying that he runs the offense. he can give the first pass then he does his cuts and if nothing is available the ball is passed back out to T-Mac and he does his thing. He is not the conventional PG. It's more of the style of Magic Johnson that we stated. He basically ran the offense but scored his as well due to the fact that Kareem would get double teamed and kick it out to Johnson and he would do his thing. That's the same kind of scheme we can run with T-Mac and Yao...
I think I have seen T-Mac get Yao more easy looks than our backcourt did all of last season. Unfortunately Yao has not been converting, but at least he is getting some easy looks. When he starts to hit those, watch out!!!
TMAC will always be our 2 but with the majority of playmaking responsibilities for the Rockets. We will always need a 1 to guard the other teams 1. Could you see Tmac chasing around Boykins.
Man you sure are sensitive when it comes to your beloved coach JVG. I actually compliment the guy on at least finally getting it no matter how he got it. And you are so strung out on anyone saying anything negative about you b!@ch that you can't see reality. I gave the man credit! But at least acknowledge he is on the slow bus. It took him long enough to see the obvious. As for TMAC and 90% again you are missing it. No one is saying TMAC should have the ball 90% and forget about Yao. That is not it at all. What I am saying is Tmac should have 90% of the playmaking duties as opposed to Ward and Lue. Everyone still gets their touches and absolutely YAo should get the most of the rest. 90% might be a bit on the high side but it should never again swing the other way where we see Ward or Lue taking the majority of those duties. Do you follow or do you belong on the slow bus with JVG.
BINGO! T-Mac can be the PG on offense but guards the 2's on defense. Ward/Lue(and eventually Sura) are in there to guard the 1's on defense.
I think that this post is the most realistic. McGrady will not be a conventional PG. But a two-guard or small-forward that is the play-maker. What's funny is that Jordan and Pippen played this very same way. They weren't just scorers. They could do it ALL: shoot, drive, pass, rebound, defend and create plays for others. Even if they weren't the PG or whatever. That's the key in being a complete player. Especially if you have been anointed the "best" on the team. You better do it all! One game they can get 40/6/6, another game they can get 21/12/10, another 28/8/8. I really love the way that McGrady can get to the FT line too. He can struggle from the field, but make it up at the line. A great safety-net for those crucial games, i.e. playoffs. Keeps us in the game even if our *best* player is struggling. The best players can carry the team, but also keep their teammates involved. Even our "worst" players. We still need a PG next year... It will only make our team that much better, and lighten the load for McGrady/Yao even more.
You know what Yao reminds me of this year? He reminds me of an oversized Cato with less defense and the same scoring ability. All I've seen so far is someone penetrating then dishing it off to yao for an easy dunk... that reminds me of francis/cato last year. What happened to yao's 15 foot jumper? Everytime i see Yao go to the low post he flails around, throws the ball up, gets no where near the rim, and then ends up on the floor.. Must be his elbow On another note, wouldn't it be crazy to see a seven foot six dream shake =p
If we move T-Mac into the pg role, then we should definitely look into getting one of those "SGs trapped in a PG's body". A handful of these guys come into the league every year, but they usually can't make it because there aren't that many tall PGs in the league. And I'm thinking of the guys in the shooter-mold like Eddie House over the slashers like Dejuan Wagner. This way T-Mac isn't matched up with the pgs on the defensive end and on offense, we get another scorer/shooter on offense.
See your missing the point that we are trying to make. Just cause T-Mac will be running the offense that doesn't mean he will be guarding little point guards. That's the job of Ward and Lue...they are to be the defensive assignments on the point. The only difference is on offense...instead of Ward and them leading the offense...T-Mac will be the play maker. Much like Lebron does right now for the Cavs...you don't seem him guarding Point Guards even though he runs a lot of the plays.
What are you talking about. I'm making the exact same point regarding the defensive end. The only difference by signing a "Sg trapped in a PG's" is that instead of Ward or Lue trying to make shots on offense, we'd have a more proven shooter/scorer alongside T-Mac. There are a lot of short guys that come into the league that can light up the scoreboard, but are forced into a PG role because of their size and defensive concerns. If this thing with T-Mac at the point works out, I'd be looking to bring in someone that can play that SG role much better than Ward or Lue.
Se we are not saying to move McGrady from the 2 to 1 on offense completly....he is basically going to do the main passing and have his shots...we don't need another 2 guard to come in a light it up with points. That's i think the part your not getting when i am saying it. On the floor lUe or ward is still technically the 1 but the offense is going to be dicated by McGrady.
Well it all depends on how effective T-Mac can be as the primary playmaker. If he can do it effectively, then I say we move away from teaming him up for prototypical pgs. Like in Cleveland where McInnis was brought in to play PG alongside Lebron. McInnis is much more of those scoring guards that I'm talking about instead of a Ward/Lue traditional pg. This team has been known to get into scoring slumps, and I'd much prefer one of those guys that can go on scoring streaks IF T-Mac can handle the pg duties. Obviously above everything else, it's contingent on whether T-Mac can play the position. And I mention "SGs trapped in a PG's body" because those are the kinds of guys that are available and can be had for a relatively small price.
That is why we have people like JJ and Mo on the team...they are there to pickup the points if T-Mac is not feeling it...i don't think another scorer on the floor is really needed. The energy that the PG would use to shoot, he can better effective like Lue and Ward just defending and giving the opposing point guards fits...but of course none of this has taken place for us to see how it would work I guess we can wait and see.
That's it Stack! All we need from our point guard is to be able to spot up and hit an open shot and then get back on D. Hitting an open shot is essential but playing great D is even more important. The great thing is point guards like this are easier to find than Playmaking stars. Lue and Ward or not the answer but actually Sura might fit the bill perfectly. I like our team more and more each day. Go ROCKETS!!!!
